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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255447">A Spark in Winter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowshirbert/pseuds/rainbowshirbert'>rainbowshirbert</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Buried Hopes (AnnE Oneshots) [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Anne with an E (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Ice Skating, Pining Gilbert Blythe, Post S2, Shirbert, Winter, bc pre s3 as i said, but no kiss, friends - Freeform, just so much fluff, pre S3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:02:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25255447</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowshirbert/pseuds/rainbowshirbert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert tries to teach Anne to ice skate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Buried Hopes (AnnE Oneshots) [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684312</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Spark in Winter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic and I have a rough relationship but because of all the effort I put into pushing through the pain of writing it I'm posting it anyway! Just pointless fluff, I hope you enjoy :)</p><p>Also all of the references on how to ice skate are based on a WikiHow article, so probably inaccurate. Anne not knowing how to skate is based off my experience. I'm a terrible skater and was supposed to take lessons before the pandemic!</p><p>Set in between S2 and S3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Gilbert went to the pond to skate, he'd figured it'd be a good quiet day. Delphine was starting to teeth, which meant that Bash and Mary got no sleep, which meant they yelled almost as much as Delphine did. </p><p>Gilbert joked to Bash he was living with three babies instead of one, but then Bash forced him to babysit Delphine a whole day and Gilbert shut his mouth right up. It was a week ago and he still hadn't recovered.</p><p>He was grateful that no one was there when he arrived. He didn't have the energy to deal with Billy (though did he ever?), and the sound of his skates scraping against ice was soothing.</p><p>He laced up and went onto the ice. It was like second nature to him. Gilbert had learned to skate when he was two years old. His father had held his hand and taught him how to turn and stop.</p><p>Gilbert let out a sigh. The death of his father still weighed down on him, leaving a heavy feeling in his chest. But it had been two years, and he just pressed his skates deeper into the ice. </p><p>He spun in circles, picking up his stick and pretending to hit a puck. Beads of sweat were developing on his forehead as he raced from one end of the pond to the other, testing his speed with every lap. It was only when he heard the breaking of branches did he look up.</p><p>The first thing he saw was bright red hair, and his stomach immediately flipped. His heart rate only increased when he realized that it was free flowing instead of plaited neatly into two braids. Her cheeks were flushed almost as bright as her hair as she looked at him with wide eyes.</p><p>"Anne?" Gilbert asked.</p><p>"Sorry!" she yelled, and in typical fashion, ran towards the woods.</p><p>"Wait!" Gilbert cursed as he slid on the ice and righted his footing. Tearing off his skates, not even caring about how they were left dumped in the bank of snow, he put on his winter boots and ran after her. </p><p>He wasn't sure why. It was probably a better idea to let Anne go, since she'd only turn on him with her temper when she realized he was following her. But as much as Gilbert loved the quiet, he also loved being around Anne. </p><p>It took her a minute to slow down and realized that someone else was behind her. She quickly and crossed her arms around her chest, so abruptly Gilbert had to bend over in order to stop quick enough.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>Gilbert cleared his throat. "Um...do you want to ice skate?"</p><p>Anne's eyes drifted down to her boots and Gilbert internally scolded himself. "I don't have skates."</p><p>"Right. But I could still teach you. If you want, that is. You can have my skates."</p><p>Anne stared at him for a second, and Gilbert forced himself to hold her gaze. He could see her brain working, but then she nodded and walked past him.</p><p>"Okay!" she called out. "It's such a nice day it'd be a shame to waste it anyway."</p><p>Gilbert grinned and jogged after her. "You find this nice? If I didn't have two coats on I would freeze."</p><p>"But the air is so crisp, and the shine is shining so all the icicles glimmer," Anne explained, pointing up to the trees. "See, all of the trees look like they have bulbs of light on them."</p><p>Gilbert smiled as he looked up in the trees. He supposed Anne was right. Yhe light-bulbs they'd carried to keep Miss Stacey resembled them, even if in only the smallest way.</p><p>He watched as Anne looked with admiration up at the sky for a few moments longer, then brought herself back down to earth and slowed a bit for Gilbert to catch up with her.</p><p>"How's Delphine?"</p><p>"Loud," Gilbert laughed. "I'm pretty sure she's the loudest baby in the world."</p><p>"All kids her age are that way," Anne said, her tone light but gaze far away. "She's lucky to have a loving family to satisfy her every desire. Babies are very needy."</p><p>Gilbert wasn't really sure what to say to that. He and Anne never talked about her past before Green Gables, and he knew relatively little about it other than she helped work with kids and was in an orphanage. </p><p>She didn't leave much space for him to comment. "I'm sure Delphine is a ball of light, though. And wait until she can crawl! You'll be surprised how many things need to be kept on the highest shelf."</p><p>They continued to walk through the woods. Gilbert hadn't realized how far Anne had run, or maybe it just felt longer at the leisurely pace she was setting. His stomach was still doing flips, especially when she turned to see his reaction at a particular insight. He could walk all day, cold or no cold.</p><p>When they finally reached the pond, she picked up the skates. "Are you sure you're fine with me using yours?"</p><p>"Of course. Unless you have your own."</p><p>Anne shook her head. "I'd love to, but I'm sure Marilla would have some statement about how hockey is only for the boys. I bet I could beat Billy Andrews any day."</p><p>"He's pretty aggressive," Gilbert warned, trying to control his face as she took off her boots and rolled up her stockings. </p><p>Anne grinned up at him as she put the skates on. "I think if you gave me a slate, I'd have a pretty unfair advantage against him."</p><p>Gilbert laughed. "Maybe just me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to come near you if there's a slate even twenty feet from you. Do you need help lacing?"</p><p>In response, Anne tied the laces of the skates and let out a breath. "Okay I'm ready."</p><p>She pushed herself from the ground and cautiously stepped one foot onto the ice. Letting out a grunt as she tipped sideways, Gilbert rushed over and held her side.</p><p>There were layers of coats and dresses between them, but his heart was still beating out of his chest as she thanked him and put both feet onto the ice. He followed her out, slipping as his boots tried to find their footing.</p><p>"Alright, do you know how to move?"</p><p>"I've never skated before," Anne said.</p><p>"Okay. Think of it as walking, except..." Gilbert trailed off as Anne moved her feet from side to side, skating at a crawling pace. "Or you can do that, I guess."</p><p>"It works," Anne said, and she grinned at him. </p><p>Gilbert almost protested that she was likely to fall over if she kept up with that technique, but he decided to stay quiet for both his and her benefit. Anne let out giggles as she went across the ice.</p><p>"How do I stop?" she asked Gilbert from across the pond.</p><p>"Stick one foot out sideways and you should be able to push frost off the ice," Gilbert said, and Anne frowned in concentration as she tested out moving her right foot to the side. He watched, a smile on his face as her face scrunched up in a pretty cute way. </p><p>She came close to stopping, though she bent over and waved her arms to regain her balance. Then she started coming towards him again, and Gilbert couldn't stop looking at her.</p><p>Anne was coming head-on, and definitely not coordinated enough to control her movements yet, but he just stood like a rock as she came towards him, admiring the blush of her cheeks from the cold and how bright her eyes seemed compared to their white backdrop. </p><p>She met his eyes for a second, but then ducked her head. She opened her mouth like she wanted to speak, but instead she moved her foot to the right a bit.</p><p>"I saw you guys picking up your legs like you were running or something," she said, looking into his eyes again. "Is that how you're supposed to do it?"</p><p>Gilbert shrugged. "Do what makes you comfortable. It's only you're first time. If-" He broke himself off. He wasn't sure he was brave enough to invite her to skate again. It sounded too much like asking a girl to walk her home.</p><p>But they were family friends now, so it wasn't improper, right? It was just one friend trying to teach another to skate.</p><p>Anne broke him from his thoughts as she tested lifting her skates. Her first try was successful, and she grinned down at her feet, but then the toe of the skates must have hit the ice, because she was sailing right towards him.</p><p>Gilbert didn't have time to think before he leaned forward and caught her, but her body momentum threw them backwards into the snowbank. A pillow of wet cushion enveloped them, and Gilbert's breath suddenly hitched, whether from impact or the feeling of Anne against the chest he didn't know.</p><p>He waited, barely breathing as she rolled off of him, and met her eyes. Her face was even redder now, and he could tell she almost looked away, but she held his gaze instead. He felt the snow soaking into his jacket, but he ignored it, waiting for a slap, or scream, or something.</p><p>But her face broke into the most beautiful smile and she laughed. "Thanks." Anne scraped the snow from her knees and extended a gloved hand toward Gilbert. He reached up and gratefully took it, thankful he didn't fall on the ice. He'd gladly take the bruise, but being soaked was definitely preferable.</p><p>Anne began to unlace the skates, explaining, "I'm sure this is a sign that skating isn't meant for me. Sorry for falling on you," she added, looking up at him.</p><p>"It's all good," Gilbert reassured, handing her the boots she had worn out. </p><p>"It was thrilling to be out on the ice with the constant danger of falling, though. I suppose I understand why all you boys make such a fuss over it. I can only imagine the feeling to be zipping past without a care in the world. You must feel so powerful."</p><p>"It's pretty fun," Gilbert agreed. "And...um...I'm sure you could do it, too, with practice."</p><p>Anne grinned. "I think I could do anything with practice, yes. Maybe one day I'll challenge you to a race."</p><p>"I'll hold you to it," Gilbert chuckled. She stood there a few seconds longer, lingering as she put the toe of her boot at the edge of the ice, and then met his eyes and cleared her throat.</p><p>"Well, I should probably go. Marilla will have a fit if she sees me like this, but I don't see an alternative."</p><p>"Would you like me to walk you home?" Gilbert offered, only a bit hopefully. He knew the answer when she began to turn around.</p><p>"It's alright! I'm sorry for disrupting your practice session! I need you to kick Billy's butt next game. It's your obligation if you're my friend."</p><p>Gilbert knew she couldn't see him, but his face had split into the widest grin he'd ever had as she walked away, leaving him a wet, flustered, lovestruck mess.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Always willing to talk!</p><p>Wattpad: @heeyitsm<br/>Tumblr: @mydramaticflare<br/>Twitter: @rainbowsinmay</p></blockquote></div></div>
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